This invention relates to devices for the therapeutic treatment of the human body in general and in particular to therapeutic devices for inverting the human body.
It has heretofore been generally known that certain therapeutic devices, if properly designed, can produce desirable and healthful therapeutic effects upon the human body. In particular, one class of such devices are those devices which are utilized to support the human body in an inverted position. Supporting the human body in an inverted position has the effect of counteracting the natural forces of gravity upon the body. The force of gravity produces many adverse effects upon the human body over a period of time, including: stooped shoulders, shortened spine, varicose veins and swollen ankles.
Supporting the human body in an inverted position tends to produce a lengthening along the longitudinal axis of the body, separating various joints and vertebrae and improving circulatory exchange and overall posture. Additionally, exercise during such inversion can prove especially beneficial in strengthening back and stomach muscles.
Prior art therapeutic devices are known which support the human body in an inverted position. Such devices generally use a restraining apparatus which must be manually adjusted to restrain the ankles of the operator. Other devices utilize individual boots or shoes which also must be carefully adjusted and secured to the feet of the operator. These devices have many common shortfalls such as the limited ability to accommodate various body sizes and the difficulty encountered in safely and comfortably restraining the ankles of the operator. The typical operator of such a device suffers from ailments of the back and cannot easily bend or contort as is typically necessary to engage a known ankle restraining device. Additionally, the safety aspect of any manual locking device is always subject to human error. The likelihood of inverting a patient without properly securing his lower extremities looms as a strong possibility with all known state of the art devices.